He will return with his eight gold medals to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club that produced him. His coach, Bob Bowman, is taking over the club, and Phelps will move into a house he bought in Baltimore, back to his roots. His mother, Debbie — who squealed with every win here and whose facial contortions were a fixture on NBC’s live prime-time telecasts– will be nearby, as will his older sisters. His dog, Herman, will come along, too.

Yes, he’s become even more famous now; he’s swimming in the dough; they’ll shower gifts and praise upon him at posh gatherings sponsored by Visa. Nonetheless, he wants to go home, to the place where he has roots, where his family resides, where his coach is, where he is. Good for you, Michael.